New and Notable Ursa Major Skincare with Forest Ingredients

Ursa Major was founded in 2010 by Oliver Sweatman and Emily Doyle, who left fast-paced urban careers to settle in the forests of Vermont in search of a more grounded, healthy lifestyle. During this transition, they noticed a significant gap in the market: high-performance, natural skincare that could compete with conventional prestige formulations without compromising on ingredient integrity. Motivated by their own struggle to find clean yet effective products, they began developing a line rooted in the environment that inspired them daily-the dense, aromatic, mineral-rich forests surrounding their new home. Their goal was to create simple, hardworking essentials that delivered visible results using nature’s own active compounds.

The founders spent years researching and refining their formulations, selecting botanicals that thrive in rugged, resilient ecosystems. Drawing from ingredients such as birch sap for hydration, willow bark for natural exfoliation, spruce and cedar for clarity and balance, and a range of antioxidant herbs, they crafted products that mirror the vitality of the forest itself. This forest-first philosophy became a core pillar of the brand: every formulation is designed to be clean, effective, and sensorial, reflecting the purity and strength of the natural world. Today, Ursa Major is recognized for its commitment to sustainability, ingredient transparency, and high-performance botanicals-an ethos that directly reflects the founders’ journey from urban life to the restorative calm of the Vermont wilderness.

Ursa Major is a clean, performance-driven skincare brand that formulates its products with forest-infused botanicals known for their resiliency, purity, and nutrient density. The brand draws inspiration from the rugged forests of Vermont, incorporating ingredients such as aloe, birch sap, willow bark, spruce, cedar, and antioxidant-rich herbs to deliver high-efficacy results without unnecessary synthetics. These botanicals are selected for their ability to calm inflammation, support skin barrier function, boost hydration, and provide natural antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. Because these ingredients evolve in harsh natural environments, they offer concentrated bioactive compounds that translate into visibly smoother, clearer, and healthier skin. Ursa Major’s approach blends nature’s potency with modern formulation science, ensuring that each product is both sensorially refined and clinically effective for everyday use.

Here’s a more detailed look at some of Ursa Major’s “hero” products-the formulations that tend to be most beloved and recommended- and why they stand out, with attention to their ingredients and purported skincare benefits.

Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream

• What it does: A deeply hydrating yet fast-absorbing moisturizer designed to nourish, calm, and replenish the skin — usable as a daily moisturizer or night cream. 

• Key ingredients & benefits:

  • Sea buckthorn oil — rich in unsaturated fatty acids (including omega-7) and antioxidants, it helps support skin regeneration, improve barrier function, and deliver nourishment.

  • Black currant — provides vitamin C and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which may enhance skin elasticity, firmness, and overall tone while addressing dryness or irritation. 

  • Calendula extract — delivers carotenoids and flavonoids that help soothe skin, calm irritation, and support skin healing or recovery.

• Why it’s popular: Because its formula is rich yet not heavy or greasy, it's often recommended for dry or sensitive skin needing deep moisture and barrier support. It helps skin feel soft, supple, and renewed, especially during harsh weather or after cleansing.

Ursa Major Alpine Rich Cream

Alpine Rich Cream — Intense Moisture & Barrier Support

• What it does: Alpine Rich Cream is Ursa Major’s richest, most deeply hydrating face cream. It’s designed to deliver long-lasting moisture, support and repair the skin barrier, and give skin a smoother, more plumped appearance.

• Why it’s effective — key ingredients and benefits:

  • Tremella Mushroom: holds up to 500 times its weight in water — a potent hydrator that helps skin stay nourished and supple.

  • Plant-derived Ceramides: help replenish the skin barrier and lock in moisture, guarding against dryness and transepidermal water loss. 

  • Cloudberry: rich in vitamins A, C, and E — antioxidants and nutrients that help soften skin and support its health. 

  • Red Maple Bark: helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, promoting a smoother, more youthful complexion. 

  • Skullcap (Alpine flower): supports the skin barrier and soothes sensitive or stressed skin — helpful if your skin is prone to irritation or compromised barrier function.

  • Moss stem-cells and other forest-derived actives: contribute to hydration, reduce water loss, and help maintain skin resilience over time. 

• When it’s best used / who it’s best for: Because it’s richer and more deeply hydrating than lighter moisturizers, Alpine Rich Cream is especially well-suited for dry, sensitive or mature skin, or for times/conditions when your skin needs extra moisture — e.g., during cold weather, after exposure to drying environments, or when using actives that may stress the skin barrier. 

• Why it stands out: Users and reviewers often describe it as “velvety,” “super-concentrated,” and capable of delivering noticeable softness, smoothness, and barrier repair without feeling greasy or heavy. 

Ursa Major Forest Alchemy Eye Cream

Forest Alchemy Eye Cream — Targeted Eye Care for Hydration, Lines, Dark Circles

• What it does: Forest Alchemy Eye Cream is formulated specifically for the delicate eye area. It aims to hydrate, nourish, reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, de-puff, lighten dark circles, and support overall skin elasticity and radiance. 

• Why it’s effective — key ingredients and benefits:

  • Tremella Mushroom: thanks to its water-holding capacity, it helps the eye area stay deeply hydrated and appear smoother and more plumped. 

  • Wild Birch extract: provides amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, proteins, and vitamins — nourishing the delicate under-eye skin and improving suppleness. 

  • Pink Snow Algae: supports skin renewal and may help improve skin texture and tone over time.

  • Chaga Mushroom Extract: a potent antioxidant that may help reduce the appearance of dark circles and uneven pigmentation around the eyes by mitigating oxidative stress.

  • Hydrating emollients (e.g., vegan squalane): help moisturize and soften the thin under-eye skin, improving comfort and reducing crepiness.What users report: According to a consumer-use study cited by the brand, after 8 weeks of twice-daily use, a high percentage of users noted softer, smoother skin texture, less visible wrinkles around the eye area, reduced puffiness, and diminished dark circles.

Why it stands out: The formula avoids petrochemicals, sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, glycols, silicones — aligning with “clean beauty” principles — which may make it more tolerable for sensitive skin, especially around the delicate eye area.

How These Creams Fit Into a Skincare Routine & Their Trade-offs

• Synergy with other products: Alpine Rich Cream is ideal as a final moisturizing step after cleansing and serums — especially when skin needs barrier repair or deep hydration. Forest Alchemy Eye Cream slots in at the eye area before or alongside the face moisturizer, delivering targeted care where skin is thinner and more vulnerable.

• Strengths: Both creams harness forest-derived, natural actives — mushrooms, botanicals, ceramides, berry oils — offering hydration, barrier support, antioxidants, and skin-soothing benefits. This makes them especially appealing for users looking for effective, clean, and plant-powered skincare.

• What to keep in mind: Because these creams focus on hydration, barrier support, and botanicals rather than strong clinical actives (e.g., retinoids, high-strength actives), results — especially for deeply entrenched concerns like deep wrinkles, age spots, or severe dehydration — may be gradual and relatively subtle. Also, formulas like Alpine Rich Cream contain botanical oils and essential-oil derived scents, which for some users may pose a risk of sensitivity or irritation.